The No. 8 Tigers entered today’s game following a 5-2 loss to No. 3 Duke last night. Left-hander Tristan Smith took the mound for the 3 pm first pitch, tasked with securing a win for Clemson baseball and evening the series. Smith, leading Clemson’s starting pitching staff with a 2.89 ERA, also led the team in strikeouts with 26, boasting a near three-to-one strikeout-to-walk ratio at the start of the day (26K/9BB).
Blake Wright led Clemson baseball with six home runs, closely followed by Will Taylor with five, as they headed into Saturday’s matchup. Cam Canneralla led the Tigers with 17 RBIs, trailed by Blake Wright with 16, and Jacob Hinderleider with 15 for the year. Canneralla also led the team in total bases with 40. Despite their offensive prowess, last night saw them unable to contribute to Clemson baseball’s offense on the basepaths. However, today was a different story.
The Tigers wasted no time in scoring, as Blake Wright’s RBI brought Canneralla home in the first inning. The heavy bats truly came alive in the fifth, knocking Duke’s Gabe Hart out of the game. Obertop capitalized on the first pitch from Hart, sending it out of the park to give Clemson a 4-2 lead, with Wright and Taylor also crossing the plate on the home run. Not to be outdone, Bissetta hit a grand slam in the seventh, extending the Tigers’ lead to 8-2.
Initially struggling, Clemson starter Tristan Smith found his rhythm after a visit from pitching coach Jimmy Belanger. He proceeded to throw eight consecutive strikes, setting a season high in innings with six on 102 pitches. In contrast, the Blue Devils utilized eight different pitchers through six innings. With Clemson leading 8-2 going into the seventh, the challenge lay in securing the final nine outs.
Ethan Darden entered the game to start the seventh for Clemson, but Duke managed to load the bases with three consecutive singles. Darden then walked Mill to narrow the score to 8-3. A wild pitch allowed Will Clark to score, making it 8-4, followed by a single by Stone, bringing the score to 8-6. Duke concluded their scoring in the seventh with Gracia hitting another single to make it 8-7.
Clemson’s defense held firm thereafter, with Cuifo’s remarkable play recording the first out of the eighth inning. Running away from the infield, Cuifo caught the ball over his shoulder while tripping over fellow Clemson teammate Jarren Purify. This, coupled with Alden Mathes’ earlier catch to deny Duke of extra bases, played a significant role in Clemson’s ability to secure the win.
Clemson baseball concludes the series with the Duke Blue Devils tomorrow, anticipating yet another fiercely competitive game. They aim to clinch a series victory over a top-five team on the road.
